Capital Punishment (12) Flashcards
1
Q
Juries would not convict
A
- In 1700, only 40% of those convicted of capital crimes were hung.
- By 1800, only 10% were hung, despite increase in crime overall
- Criminals felt confident of escaping punishment
- Bloody Code was undermining the law.
2
Q
Ideas about punishment were changing:
A
- Throughout C18th growing sense among philosophers that punishments were too brutal.
- Politicians were starting to look for alternative ways to punish
- By 1780s, transportation had emerged as the main alternative.
3
Q
Public Executions:
A
- During the 1700s, the crowds at execution grew larger, publicised through newspapers
- As crowds grew, harder to keep control
- Danger of the criminal escaping if the crowd was sympathetic to them.
- Risk of riots if the offender had been sentenced to death for minor crimes.
4
Q
High Profile Cases:
A
- Derek Bentley
- Despite not firing the fatal shot, he was hung on 28 January 1953
- Huge public outcry
- Many people believed it was a miscarriage of justice.
- Made the law look cruel and caused people to doubt the morality of capital punishment.